Being raised with all boys, it was not abnormal for me to hear my father tell my brothers not to hit me. In fact, I would venture to say that many brothers got the “do not hit your sister” speech daily; however, how many of our girls were taught to not hit boys first?
Society has always had this standard when addressing how males interact with females. Hitting a woman is never right, and there is no justification for it. But why do we never address a woman hitting a man?
A woman hitting a man is equally wrong; not in the sense that it causes equal damage, but just like a man takes advantage of a woman’s lack of physical strength by hitting her, a woman takes advantage of a man’s responsibility to respect her by hitting him.
Over time, feminism has become more prevalent in today’s society. This is the idea that women and men should be treated the same in political, economic and social situations. With that being said, we as women need to keep in mind what we ask for.
We want to have the same rights and respect as men in every situation, but when it is time to take responsibility for actions such as abuse, we claim a woman hitting a man is not equivalent to a man hitting a woman.
Immediately there becomes that unwanted separation between the two. No longer are we claiming to be on equal playing fields but, as individuals, who are fragile and unable to cause equal damage as a man.
When you hit a man, you have stepped out of the realm of women and into the world of men. A person who acts like a lady will more than likely get treated like one. Hitting a man is not ladylike; therefore, men react to this as if they are not dealing with a lady.
Does that mean a man should hit you back? No.
It does, however, mean that when he does hit you back, it should not surprise you.
Does it make it right? No. It makes him human because reflexes are an expected reaction.
We expect men to be right below Jesus when it comes to their patience and ability to restrain themselves in tough situations. But let a woman slap another woman, their immediate reaction would be “hand on jaw.”
Whoopi Goldberg said it best, “If you hit somebody, you cannot be sure you are not going to get hit back!”
I know this sounds harsh, and I do not want it to be confused with me giving grounds for a man harming a woman. The amount of physical power a man possesses is not equivalent to a woman’s, but why is it always the man’s fault?
If the woman hits him, he provoked her, and if he hits her, he is abusive. He never wins, and God forbid he reports that a woman abused him. He would probably be considered the biggest coward on the planet.
Abuse is not confined to a particular gender. Although society has painted the man as the sole perpetrator, it does not make him the only guilty party in every situation.
A man should never hit a woman, and a woman should never hit a man.
We as women need to realize that humanity overrides chivalry, and we need to discontinue taking advantage of a man’s chivalry and forgetting human nature.
Even more simple than that, do not dish out what you can not take. So, I am not telling you to not hit a man. Just know what you are getting yourself into when you decide to take that step.
Rachel Granger is a junior international studies major from Pearl.
